Process of extracting arsenide from ores



Patented Apr. 20, 1926.

JOHN F. SANDERS, OF BOSEBURG, OREGON.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern. J OHN United States,

Be it known that I,

citizen of the Application filed April 22, 1925.

F. SANDERS, a residing at Roseburg, in the county of Douglas and theState of Oregon,

have invented new and useful Improvements in the Process of Ex-'tracting Arsenide from Ores, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to or removal of the extraction of thecontaminating arsenic,

when it occurs as in the mineral sperrylite,

which is a platinum diarsenide,

Dana in his book on mineralogy, page 302, under the subject ofsperrylite, states.Platinum is the only native compound.

known metal forming a Therefore, the cont-aminating-arsenic exists alsoin the native state, and is hence easily dissolved in carbon bisulphide.Roscoe page solve arsenical oxides, but arsenic-a1 sulphides in anymetals or otherwise.

contaminating arsenic, the platinum diarsenide, because the arsenic intha (See & Schorlemmer, 585.) The same solvent will also disit will notdissolve Vol. Iv

combination with The removal of the when occurring as 18 very importantt combination, as

well as by itself, when subjected to a temperature of 450 degreesroasting orsmelting, turns solid state into the gaseous the platinum todo likewise;

C. or more, as in at once from the state and induces but in this gaseousstate many reactions take place, re

sulting in the formation pounds, better known as pounds, such ascarbonyl,

of cyanogen comthe radical complatinyl, arsenyl,

etc, all of which can only be condensed in very low temperatures and theatmosphere as a pulver1zmg ores senides which are very brittle,

hence escape into total loss. Again, in that contain platinum diar-vbreakmg up into extremely small particles which floatoif 1n attemptingto concentrate them, the

platinum is again lost.

In amalgamation the arsenic prevents the success of that operat-ion. Inother words,

very obnoxious contamination in such oresthe arsenic is a that containit in the condition above stated.

The object of this invention is to extract this contaminating arsenicfrom such ores that contain 1t, by sub ect1ng such ores to a process oflixiviation wi phide.

th carbon bisul- PROCESS OF EXTRACTING ARSENIDE FROM ORES.

Serial No. 25,148.

To carry the process into effect, it is necessary to reduce the arseniccontaminated ores The arsenic is now held in solution by the solvent andmay be drained off from the-ores or may be separated from them byfiltration as may be desired. The arsenic may be recovered by heatingthe solution containing it to about 135 degrees, when the carbonbisulphide will evaporate, leaving the arsenic in a pure solid state.

The precious metals, that were, previous to the lixiviation, associatedwith the arsenic, are now entirely free from it and may now besuccessfully extracted by the well known processes, roasting, but not bysmelting, for the reason that the fuel gases produce the obnoxiouscyanogen compound radicals, and the precious metals, especiallyplatinum, are all easily evaporated by it and lost, as before stated.

' It must be remembered that carbon bisulphide is very inflammable and apowerful poison, and that wherever it is used good ventilation should beprovided.

' Having thus described my invention, I claim is:

The process of preparing arsenic-contaminated ores for the extraction ofthe desired metal contents, consisting in subjecting suc arseniccontaminated ores in pulverulent condition, with agitation, to asolvent, consisting substantially and wholly of carbon bisulphide untilthe arsenic contaminants are dissolved, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

what

JOHN F. SANDERS.

bisulphide until all of such oes

